Chapter 446: The Truth About Mrs. Carlyn Senior

Whitney was completely stunned. Hearing these horrifying details from Wisteria was overwhelming. She clutched her hand over her mouth, gagging.

Seeing Whitney's distress, Wisteria approached, bending to meet her gaze. "What's wrong? Just hearing it makes you sick, doesn't it? Oh, the great eldest daughter of the Sanders, so noble and untouchable. You and your sister are lucky, aren't you? One of you returned from the dead, and the other, though clearly a prisoner, is shielded by Taylor. He restricts your freedom, and you think that's unfair? Without him, you'd have been killed a thousand times over by now, used up, tossed out, and dumped in the ocean to feed the fish! Look at that face of yours. Such a pity… Is this how you seduced Taylor?"

Wisteria's mind spiraled. She grabbed a dagger and traced it lightly across Whitney's face. "Tell me, if I ruin your face, will Taylor still care about you? How dare he love you—you, an enemy of ours!"

The moment the blade touched Whitney's skin, my heart clenched. "Whitney!" I shouted, panic rising.

But Dominic swiftly kicked the dagger from Wisteria's hand. His expression was icy. "What are you doing?"

Silas's death had clearly shattered Wisteria. The Carlyns were losing control of her. She was a wild horse, hellbent on destruction.

"Uncle Dominic, why are you so nervous? Aren't you the one who was so willing to ruin your life for love, happy to play the other man and let Aunt Amber do whatever she wanted to your son? And now you're acting like a protective father," she said with a twisted smirk.

"Wisteria, don't forget what you promised me," Dominic snapped, his voice low and dangerous.

Despite his flaws, Dominic was protecting Whitney. He was a fool in love, and his son wasn't much different. He feared that if anything happened to Whitney, Taylor would be devastated. I felt relieved—at least Whitney wouldn't be harmed.

As for me, they didn't dare touch me, likely because of Amber. Dominic knew how much Amber cared about Carter, and assuming my fate was tied to Carter's, his people treated me with unusual courtesy.

Dominic, for all his ruthlessness, still loved his wife and son. Perhaps he even pitied the daughters of their enemies enough to leave us alive. For that, I felt begrudgingly thankful.

But when Dominic's stern gaze fell on Wisteria, she recoiled like a ghost.

Chapter 446: The Truth About Mrs. Carlyn Senior (Continued)

Wisteria was overjoyed, her laughter bright and unhinged. She moved behind me and whispered gleefully, "Chloe, you should be happy! Have you forgotten how he used to yell at you? How he used to hit you?"

How could I forget? Those moments were seared into my memory. But alongside them came flashes of his love and affection.

"Chloe won an award again? That's my girl! My daughter's the best!"

"Sorry, sweetie. Daddy has to go on a business trip, but I'll bring you a present when I'm back, okay?"

"Happy birthday, my little princess."

"Daddy will always love you."

"Chloe, how could you turn out like this? She's your sister!"

"Don't you have any shame? She suffered for years out there. What's wrong with letting her have a little more?"

"You disgust me!"

And then, the final image: that snowy night. Him kneeling before my shattered statue, sobbing uncontrollably.

I had loved him, respected him, and hated him. But since my rebirth, revenge against the Sanders hadn't crossed my mind.

Yet now, as emotions raged within me, Wisteria pressed a dagger to my chin. Her voice was syrupy and mocking. "Oh, my dear sister, watch closely! I'm avenging you. You should be smiling right now!"

My stomach churned violently as I looked at Josh's mangled leg, and I doubled over, gagging.

Whitney nearly fainted. Her forehead was bleeding from bowing, but she clung to Dominic's sleeve, sobbing. "Mr. Carlyn, my father has done what you asked. Please, let someone bandage Greg's wounds!"

She was the only one thinking clearly. Whitney knew Josh's sacrifice couldn't be in vain.

Dominic's gaze lingered on her bloodied forehead, his expression unreadable. In the end, he kept his word and allowed the doctor to treat Greg.

Wisteria, however, was still full of excitement. "Is that all you've got? Didn't you eat today? Such little strength!" she taunted.

Covered in blood, I helped Penelope to her feet. I wanted to wipe away her tears, but my bloody hands stopped me.

"Grandma," I called out hoarsely.

The woman who had been proud and unyielding her entire life buried her face in my chest, sobbing uncontrollably. I held her trembling body and quietly asked, "I need to know… Is what the Carlyns said true?"

For the Carlyns to spend two generations planning revenge, the truth was likely close to their claims. But I still wanted to hear it from Penelope herself.

Her voice shook as she began to speak. "That year… I wanted to curry favor with the warlord. I knew he had taken a liking to Mrs. Carlyn Senior. It was a chaotic time, and your grandfather was… useless. We had no choice but to rely on the warlord. To rise in status, I used whatever means necessary to please him.

"At first, I thought he was just fooling around, a one-night affair. But he truly fell for Mrs. Carlyn Senior and refused to let her go. But the warlord's wife was ruthless. He didn't dare keep Mrs. Carlyn Senior in his home, so he hid her at ours. We were forced to keep her locked in the basement. I never imagined my selfish decision would bring such disaster upon the Carlyns. Things spiraled completely out of control."

"No secret can stay hidden forever. The warlord's wife eventually found out. Enraged, she ordered us to send Mrs. Carlyn Senior to various officials and nobles… and even had her humiliated by lowlifes."

"Then why did you kill the Carlyns?" I asked.

"At the time, the warlord was furious. And when the Carlyns came to make a scene, he ordered their people beaten to death on the spot," she admitted, tears streaming down her face.

"Chloe, Grandma did everything to climb the ladder. My hands are far from clean. What happened to the Carlyns was my fault. It was my greed for power that caused it all. But I swear, I never wanted to destroy their entire family! I regretted it back then. I did everything I could to save Mrs. Carlyn Senior and return her to the Carlyn Residence. I thought she might be able to start over… but in the end, she hanged herself.

"After that, the Carlyns planned to retaliate at Bolton Residence. By that point, the warlord had lost his military power but still held status in Snowville. He feared the Carlyns would ruin his reputation if they kept causing trouble. So… he ordered me to secretly kill the Carlyns. I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I devised a way to drive them out instead, hoping to protect their lives. But I never thought… they would hate us for it to this day…"

"Shut up, you old hag! Do you think twisting the truth will wash away your sins?" Wisteria snapped, her voice venomous.

Penelope didn't flinch. Her voice remained calm, even as tears streamed down her face. "This all started because of me. I don't regret the punishment I've received. The Sanders have already paid in blood. My life is yours to take whenever you want it. I only ask one thing—please, spare these young ones. They are innocent." Her gaze turned to me, her voice breaking. "Chloe, Grandma has let you down… I'm not the good person you thought I was. I deserve all of this. But you… you shouldn't have to die because of me. I'm so sorry, my poor child."